Nigel Worthington: this is my York City team

NIGEL WORTHINGTON feels confident he has now stamped his mark on his York City side as they prepare to embark on a new League Two campaign today.

After 17 months in charge of the Minstermen, and two pre-seasons, the City boss feels he has now put the team together he wants with another frantic term about to get under way.

Although Worthington made numerous signings during his first close season - after only a couple of months in the hot-seat - he still had players under contract from the reign of Gary Mills.

Three of those, Michael Ingham, Daniel Parlsow and Michael Coulson, are still a part of his squad but when asked whether he now felt this York outfit represented his ideas of what the team should be, Worthington said: "That is fair to say.

"As far as I am concerned, I have brought these players to the football club and I've brought them for a reason. They have got good individual ability, a large amount have good League experience and it is up to myself and Steve (Torpey, assistant manager) to mould them into a team, and a group, to try and take the club forward."

Quizzed on whether he looked to bring a certain type of player, and personality, to the club, he added: "It's very important. We do our homework. We make several phone calls, we watch individuals several times. Trying to find out about the character and the type of individual you are bringing in to the club prior to their signing is very, very important.

"We have got a good group and you add to that good group by bringing good professionals in that are going to act as such and perform as professionals."

With York looking to get off to a winning start at Tranmere this afternoon, Worthington said he hoped his team would be pressuring Rovers high up the field.

Promoted stories

"That's the way we are," he explained. "I would rather play closer to the opposition's goal than our own because I think, at this level, if you lose the ball near your own goal you get punished.

"At least if you lose it near the opposition's goal, you might have 70 or 80 yards to do something about it. We will get the ball, we will pass it. We have played some very good football over the course of last season.

Share article

"We have shown that again in pre-season against very good sides and it is important to me, as the head of it, that we pass the ball. I want us to pass the ball. That doesn't mean to say we can't pass around teams or in the back of teams to run on to.

"That's the sort of ball that Michael Coulson loves. We have got to work to everybody's strengths and abilities. If we do that, we will get joy."

Ipsoregulated

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standardards Organisations's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a compaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here